Carlo Ritchie - A Bit of This, A Bit of That

Carlo Ritchie has a flair for compelling storytelling, and it's clear here from the moment he introduces himself (including a glorious show title drop) to the centrepiece of the show: his obsession with the Titanic. 

It feels delightfully communal, being in an audience who were all sold on the rather specific promise of "facts about the Titanic". I'm a certified lover of facts and I adore the Titanic movie, so this was bound to be up my alley.

As well as a stand-up comedian, Carlo has experience as a children's TV presenter, broadcaster and improviser, and the skills all come together in a mid-show Titanic Q&A segment. Although Carlo disclaimed that the answers might just be facts without a punchline, on this night he skillfully showed off his depth of knowledge and made audiences laugh at once.

Towards the end, the show takes a delightfully surreal turn that elevated the whole hour for me; it's a set-up I'll be thinking about for a while. Without spoilers, I'll just say this: there have always been people obsessed with facts and historical events, and thank goodness.